Mika Senften, 5, colors in the living room Tuesday at her home on East Chestnut Street. Senften was diagnosed with Pre B Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in July. / Jess Lanning/Eagle-Gazette

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At 5 years old, Mika Senften has already beaten one childhood illness and is on her way to beating another.

Mika was hospitalized twice in her short life, once when she was 3 years old and diagnosed with Steven-Johnson syndrome, which is a severe allergic or hypersensitive reaction that affects the skin and typically requires hospitalization.

The second time was more recent. On July 1, Mika was diagnosed with Pre B Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, or ALL, the most-common form of childhood cancer.

“(Mika’s) had a pretty rugged five years,” said her father, Parrish Spires. “She’s a trooper and she’s taking it better than I would have. She’s my hero.”

In an effort to raise money for the treatments, Mika’s parents, Spires and Misty Farrell, are hosting a fundraiser from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday at the American Legion post at 279 Canal St.

Because Mika is just beginning the chemo process, the family said they aren’t sure how much treatment will cost or how the chemo will affect her physically. The treatment will continue for the next two years.

“She’s had her ups and downs, and she’s started to lose some of her hair,” Farrell said. “Her attitude and energy levels are still the same, but we take it one day at a time. We don’t really know what the treatments are going to do.”

According to the National Cancer Institute, more than 95 percent of children with ALL attain remission, and about 80 percent of children ages 1 to 18 with newly diagnosed ALL treated on current regimens are expected to be “long-term, event-free survivors.”

Farrell noticed there was a problem earlier this year when Mika started to become “pale, lethargic and wasn’t eating.”

She was rushed to the hospital while attending church this summer when her lips had turned blue and she began shivering. Mika was already acquainted with hospitals when she was diagnosed and spent 12 days in the hospital.

“(Mika) has some anxieties,” Farrell said. “She doesn’t like needles, so that stresses her out ... but she’s kept a good, upbeat spirit about it.”

With frequent treatments, Mika could not enroll in kindergarten as planned. However, she will be home-schooled by a tutor. Mika also is seeing a speech therapist to correct complications from having Steven-Johnson syndrome.

Before tutoring begins for the year, Mika keeps busy coloring animals — specifically the American bald eagle, her favorite animal at the moment — and watching cartoons, among other things.

So far, several local businesses have made donations toward Mika’s cause, and Spires expects a good turnout at the event. There will be a Chinese auction, food, a DJ, face painting and raffles at the Legion post to raise funds.

“It’s going to be a lot of fun, and we’d also like to raise awareness for childhood cancer,” Spires said.